Cookbooks To Savor

Nigella Lawson: FeastWhat cooking, especially for family and loved-ones is all about.

Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee: Eating KoreanI would place this cookbook in my top 10 of all time. The recipes are delicious and each section is packed with the best of Korean home cooking. The stories are wonderful, too. Highly recommend.

Irma S. Rombauer: The Joy of Cooking (not the "All New", the old school one) I don't so much like this for main dish and salad recipes as for baked goods, sauces, and jams. I have my mother's copy, and when I was about 12, my favorite thing to do was to make tea sandwiches from this cookbook. Every weekend I'd make a couple of different kinds until I worked my way through all the spreads and fillings. A good basic cookbook.

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This salad is so easy to prepare it's stoopid. The key, though, it making sure you serve it immediately after you toss it so that the salt doesn't have a chance to wilt the cukes. I like it when the cucumbers are still icy-cold from the fridge and you get the pleasant crunch of sea salt with every bite. The recipe calls for ground toasted sesame seeds (You can find sesame seed grinders at any Japanese market.), but if you can't find a grinder a mortar and pestle will work. Or just sprinkle them on without grinding.

This simple beef stew is one of the first things I ask my mom to cook whenever she visits or when I visit her. The beef is fork-tender because it's braised in a sweet (but not too sweet) soy sauce. It's a comforting crowd pleaser and, because it's better the next day, you can cook a batch on the weekend and serve it during the week.

Don't be put off by the amount of chili peppers in the stew—it needs that many to give it its special flavor. Despite the abundance of chilis, it never gets beyond mildly spicy.

Try this the next time you want to make beef stew but don't want to make the same ol' recipe.

Place all ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot (Staub or Le Creuset enameled cast iron Dutch ovens also work well for this).Just whack it all into a pot.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for at least an hour, preferably longer, until beef is tender but not falling apart. Even better the next day. And the sauce is delicious on rice. Serves 4-6.

Curry and rice is nice...and would be even better with a side of kimchi.

Japanese yellow curry is one of those comfort foods that reminds me of my childhood. A steaming-hot bowl of curry and rice just hits the spot sometimes. Thankfully, it's easy to make using boxed curry which contain bricks of curry paste. I like S&B or Vermont brands, available at any Japanese store and some well-stocked supermarkets in the Asian section.

Just add water, protein (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu) and veggies + the curry mix and you are done. This curry is also wonderful atop udon (with or without broth) or even over spaghetti (a Hawaii thing.)

I had planned on writing these meals up as I went along, but the beach got the better of me, and I never got around to it. Now the yumminess is just a distant memory, but just in case you ever visit Honolulu, you have to try these places.

Yesterday I was sitting in the hair salon getting my french-fried hair toned down (a month in the sand and surf did nothing for my hi-lites), and the woman next to me was talking about how horrible the food is in Hawaii. How everything comes with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad, and I thought, "Girl, you have no clue." Then I I thought, "Mmmmm. I could go for some of that RIGHT NOW." She was obviously talking about plate lunches which are a local thing, and to understand the beauty and magic of a plate lunch you have to either be 1) local or 2) really hungry or 3) both. The best place for plate lunches in Honolulu, bar none, is Rainbow Drive-in, a local institution. Where else can you get a plate of gut-busting beef curry, beef stew, or chili with, yes, rice and mac salad for under $6? Shoot.

For quick snacks, you cannot beat Shirokiya's food hall. Shirokiya is a Japanese department store located in the Ala Moana Mall. The top floor is a food hall which sells everything from packaged and canned Japanese goods to freshly prepared foods and groceries. Grab a basket and wander around. Soon it will be filled with inari sushi, freshly fried tempura (sold by the piece), all manner of Japanese pickles, croquettes, assorted bento boxes, soba, you name it they have it or make it. My daughters love Shirokiya because they can choose whatever snack they want. And don't forget to pick up a pastry or cream anpan at the St. Germain Bakery downstairs.

For sushi, I like to go to Akasaka at 1646 Kona Street, which is an unassuming restaurant sandwiched between a bunch of Korean strip clubs. Hands down, the sushi cannot be beat. Silky, buttery, generous slices of fish overlap small balls of rice so much so that the end of the slice of fish fans out like a tail on the plate. That is the way to eat sushi, in my opinion. Lotsa fish, not a lot of rice. I also like to order the chawanmushi there. It's like eating a puffy, custardy cloud.

For Korean food, nothing beats the hustle and bustle of the always-open Sorabol on Keeaumoku Street, near the Ala Moana shopping center. My favorites there include: the raw fish salad (cubes of raw fish atop a herby mix of fresh greens with a spicy dressing), the fried zucchini and fish "jun", steamed butterfish, and, of course, the kal bi (bbq ribs). Best of all, it's open 24 hours so you can get your barbecue on anytime.

And back to local favorites, I have to make my way to a Zippy's (Hawaii's version of Denny's) within 24 hours of setting foot on Hawaiian soil. Where else can you get two eggs over-easy atop fried rice with a side of Portuguese sausage for breakfast? Or fried saimin with sides fried chicken, kimchi, and macaroni salad for lunch? Zippy's is a beautiful, beautiful thing. And the service is always quick and friendly.

Lastly, it's not really a meal, but for groceries, I like to stock up at Umeke Market (4400 Kalanianaole Hwy.) in Kahala. They have a wide selection of organic local produce (I practically ate my weight in local greens when I was in Honolulu) and organic meats. They also carry other organic grocery and health items like sunscreen and bug spray. The sad part is that a Whole Foods is going in nearby which almost assures the end of Umeke and the other local health food stores in the area.

I did go back to Side Street Inn while I was there, but I felt they were off their game. It just wasn't as good as the last time, but the pork chops still kick ass.

Recently I made some kalbi for friends and thought I'd share the preparation because, well, more people should try it! Consider me on a kalbi mission, sharing the kalbi love with the world.

I stopped at the Korean market to pick up all the ban chan or side dishes (which you can do, too if you live in a bigish city), but the kalbi I always make myself.

I bought some beef ribs (about 10 lbs.) at Costco and they weren't sliced thin enough for the typical preparation. Don't worry, though. My mom always butterflied them so they'd cook more quickly and evenly and you can easily do that if you can't find the thinly sliced ribs required for kalbi.

Here are the essential ingredients for the marinade: soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, honey, asian pear (which I grate), green onions, and garlic. The red-topped contraption is my Japanese sesame seed grinder, available at any Japanese market. You can use a mortar and pestle or food processor to grind your sesame seeds.

In terms of a recipe, I usually eye-ball so I will do my best to explain it. The marinade is for about 10 pounds of ribs. In a large bowl combine: 1 bunch of chopped green onions, 1 grated Asian pear, a good handful of toasted sesame seeds, and another handful of ground, toasted sesame seeds, 8-10 cloves of chopped garlic, and a hefty squeeze of honey. Mix this up then add soy sauce (start with a half cup), and sesame oil (about a quarter to a third cup). Mix again.

The marinade before the ribs are added.

The shortribs. Notice they are cut across the bones.

Butterflying the ribs. Slice each rib lengthwise almost to the bone, the cut crosswise. When putting ribs in the marinade, make sure to work it into all the cracks and crevices.

The meat in the marinade. The way I was taught to make it, the meat should not be swimming in marinade. The ribs should be "damp" or just moistened, so start with a small amount of soy sauce an increase it if you need more liquid. Let them hang out in the marinade at least a couple of hours or up to overnight. Then fire up the grill and cook until desired doneness.

Traditionally, kalbi is served with steamed rice and red or green lettuce leaves to wrap each bite. (You place some meat and rice in the lettuce and wrap up like a burrito. Dip it in ssamjang sauce if you like.) I, of course. forgot to take a photo of the finished ribs, and when I remembered, they were all gone.
This is by far my kids' favorite dish. If you make these, let me know how they turned out!

On a toasted, halved whole wheat bagel (or wheat toast) spread a layer of creamy peanut butter. Then top that with chopped salted peanuts. (You could use chunky peanut butter but this method is waaay better.)

My camera is on the fritz so I don't have pictures of this, but this is one of those (I'm going to say it) "30 minute meals" that my kids love as much as I do. We often have this for lunch, and this makes enough for the girls to nibble on tofu all afternoon long (my girls love to graze).

This is my idea of a quick meal that's healthier, tastier, and maybe even faster than anything you can get from a box of a can.

In a medium bowl, combine peanut sauce, tamari, and maple syrup. Mix well. Add in tofu cubes and toss very gently to coat.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray. Using a slotted spoon, remove tofu from bowl and place on baking sheet in a single layer. (Set bowl with any extra sauce aside.). Bake for 25 minutes, don't bother to stir or flip the tofu, they will be fine.

Transfer tofu cubes back into bowl with remaining sauce while tofu is hot. Toss briefly. Serve. (You can also skip this step and just serve the tofu straight from the oven.)

I serve this with steamed rice and micro-steamed or stir-fried gai lan or bok choy on the side.

Cooking Gear To Spice Things Up

All-Clad cookwareI use the stainless line. I love it because you can put it in the dishwasher. If you like to cook it is sooo worth it to have quality pots and pans. I recommend buying a set on sale and then filling in extras as you need them. (Watch for sales and specials.)

Cast Iron SkilletPlease get rid of all your teflon-coated non-stick plans and get a cast iron skillet. I use mine for searing meat, poultry, and fish and then finishing off in the oven. In fact, get two cast iron skillets—one large enough to hold two ribeyes and a smaller, fried-egg-sized one for making...well...eggs.

Food ProcessorQuickly slice/shred veggies and cheese, make hummus or other spreads in a snap, and make pie crust without making a mess.

Global KnivesI am partial to the 18 incher. Yep, I like big knives and I cannot lie. If you like to cook (or even if you don't) you deserve to have good knives. At least one.

Instant Hot Water DispenserIf you can't afford to have one built-in, this is a great alternative. It's nice to have boiling water at the push of a button to make tea, instant miso soup, or morning oatmeal for the kidlets.

Microplane Grater/ZesterUse this to grate citrus zest, nutmeg, and cheese. You could get a coarser one, but you don't need to. I have one and I use it for everything.

SilpatSilpat is a silicone mat used for baking. They come in various sizes. Items will not stick to it. It is a must for any home baker.

Stick or Immersion BlenderIt doesn't have to be fancy, but try and get the highest HP you can afford. I use my stick blender (+ attachments) for making salad dressing (weekly), pureeing soups, making babyfood, and whipping cream.